USA CRICKET
Representative Image: USA Cricket is in the doldrums. © Getty
After the ICC suspended USA Cricket (USAC) last week, a dominant section of the American cricket fraternity moved to ‘recall’ (oust) League director Anj Balusu. Cricbuzz understands that six of USAC’s nine member leagues namely Southern California Cricket Association, Northern California Cricket Association, Dallas Cricket League, Washington Cricket League, Oregon Cricket League, and New Jersey Softball Cricket League signed a petition demanding his ouster, which was promptly followed by a recall vote.
The move, which the ICC has been apprised of, comes in the shadow of long standing boardroom unrest. Despite being given a three-month probationary period to implement governance reforms and hold free elections, the ongoing disarray at USAC failed to convince the ICC if the renewed confidence was justified . As Cricbuzz had earlier reported, Balusu and several fellow directors defied ICC Chairman Jay Shah when he asked for the entire board’s resignation during a July meeting in Los Angeles with USAC chairman Venu Pisike.
The ouster reflects mounting frustration among America’s regional leagues. With elections now highly unlikely in the wake of the ICC suspension, the leagues exercised their right to recall Balusu as a pointed signal of dissatisfaction with Pisike’s faction, of which Balusu was a part. Many within the fraternity believe that bloc has driven USAC and the broader cricketing ecosystem into the ground. The move also echoes the ICC and USOPC’s repeated calls for all directors to resign and clear the way for independent governance reforms.
The timing of Balusu’s removal is particularly significant. Cricbuzz understands that Pisike has already set in motion plans to declare bankruptcy, with a single-agenda board meeting scheduled for September 30 to table the vote. Under U.S. law, if a nonprofit such as USAC files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the entity is liquidated and ceases to exist. Balusu’s recall also strips the Pisike faction of its slender 5-4 majority, leaving the board evenly split at a 4 all deadlock that could produce stalemates on crucial policy decisions, including the bankruptcy motion itself.
Sources say USAC still has about USD 250,000 in its coffers, making the bankruptcy call appear premature, especially as the ICC has not yet outlined guidelines for reinstating USAC’s membership. The move is also being interpreted by some stakeholders as a strong-arm tactic to push the ICC into negotiations on Pisike’s terms.
For players, the fallout is dire too. The ongoing administrative chaos compounded by the bankruptcy threat risks leaving national cricketers stranded just months before the Men’s U19 World Cup and the 2025 T20 World Cup. Many leading American players are currently on retainer contracts worth close to USD 60,000 a year, enabling them to focus solely on the game. Bankruptcy could abruptly terminate those deals, pushing players into financial distress at the worst possible time. Worse still, the dysfunction has already sabotaged on-field preparations as USA have not played a single T20I against a Full Member side since hosting a historic T20 World Cup more than 15 months ago.
With the ICC having suspended USAC, and clubs now moving to recall a director aligned with Pisike’s bloc, there is a growing sense within the fraternity that the current board should heed the guidance of both the ICC and the USOPC: resign collectively and clear the path for independent governance reforms to take hold.
© Cricbuzz
